Asia Business Media: July 2014

Friday, July 25, 2014

Alibaba.com partners Chinese banks on loan offers

News this week: The Alibaba Group’s B2B e-commerce subsidiary, Alibaba.com, announced a partnership agreement with seven Chinese banks to offer unsecured business loans to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from mainland China.

SMEs using Alibaba’s OneTouch trade-services platform can borrow from RMB 1 million (US$161,000) up to RMB 10 million (US$1.61 million) depending on company’s prior six-month export history and creditworthiness, which Alibaba gathers through OneTouch – an Alibaba-affiliated import/export service company.

Other Alibaba.com suppliers who do not use OneTouch can also apply for smaller loans under the programme, but are limited to a lower amount. According to Alibaba, the company will be responsible for evaluating creditworthiness based on shipment data from customs agencies and logistics companies, while the final lending decision lies with participating banks.

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Reed forms new Indian JV

News this week: Last week, Reed Exhibitions announced a joint venture (JV) agreement was penned with Bangalore-based Triune Exhibitors Pvt Ltd to form Reed Triune Exhibitions Private Limited. The establishment of Reed Triune Exhibitions will join a growing list of JVs in India for Reed which includes New Delhi-based Reed Manch and Reed SI.

The new JV company will be based in Bangalore, and initially focus on the internationalisation of existing show, AMTEX (Asian Machine Tools). AMTEX is held concurrently at New Delhi’s Pragati Maidan together with Triune’s other industrial-focused trade shows – ELASIA (Power, Electrical & Industrial Electronics) and Automation Asia.

Mr Dan Londero, regional president of Reed Exhibitions, said, “The formation of this joint venture allows us access to the manufacturing sector in India which is a core competence for Reed internationally. It also gives us a valuable foothold into the important southern regions of India via our office and team in Bangalore. We firmly believe that the way forward for Reed in India is via a network of experienced and reliable local partnerships and I look forward to working with Cyril and the team as we develop the business for the future.”

Messe Frankfurt to launch lighting fair in Shanghai

News this week: International exhibition organiser, Messe Frankfurt, will add a new event to its portfolio in Shanghai. The Shanghai International Lighting Fair will take place at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC) from 3^rd to 5^th September 2014.

Organised by Guangzhou Guangya Messe Frankfurt Co Ltd, a subsidiary of Messe Frankfurt, Shanghai International Lighting Fair will feature more than 100 exhibitors covering lighting products and solutions. The inaugural event will run concurrently with three other existing events: ISH Shanghai & CIHE, Shanghai Intelligent Building Technology, and Building Solar China – Conference and Exhibition. The four events will occupy an exhibition space of 40,000 m².

Lucia Wong, deputy general manager of Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai) Ltd commented, “The Shanghai International Lighting Fair was primarily designed to facilitate the growth of Central and East China’s project-based business community. Utilising our experience as the organiser of the Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition, we aim to bring together influential lighting design and technology companies, looking to tap into the local region’s rapidly developing commercial and residential building sector.”

Global Sources to open China Sourcing Fairs in Indonesia

News this week: NADSAQ-listed B2B media company, Global Sources, has expanded its China Sourcing Fairs to Indonesia. The inaugural show will run from 7^th to 9^th August 2014 at the Jakarta International Expo (JI Expo), and feature more than 350 booths with exhibitors originating from Greater China.

The company will launch three co-located China Sourcing Fairs covering: Electronics, Garments & Textiles, and Hardware & Building Materials. A co-located Korea Sourcing Fair will also be held concurrently featuring South Korean manufacturers and their products.

Spenser Au, CEO of Global Sources, said, “Economic ties between China and ASEAN, especially Indonesia, are getting closer and closer. Expanding the China Sourcing Fairs’ footprint to Indonesia will not only bring high quality consumer goods to fast-growing ASEAN markets, but also foster mutually beneficial cooperation between the two regions.”

HKECIA survey shows exhibiting companies up 3.7% in 2013

News this week: Earlier this week, the Hong Kong Exhibition and Convention Industry Association (HKECIA) released the results of its 2013 annual exhibition survey. According to the survey, the total number of exhibiting companies during the year was 62,101, up 3.7% from 2012.

It was noted that exhibiting companies from all sectors recorded an increase, which included Hong Kong, Regional, International and mainland China. Notably, international exhibiting companies jumped 19%, while regional exhibiting companies grew by 5.5%. Net space occupied by exhibitors and stand rental revenues also increased year-on-year by 5.9% and 7.7%, respectively.

HKECIA’s newly elected chairman, Javed Khan, commented, “It is clear that Hong Kong remains an important destination for international and mainland businesses, which is why we are seeing a rise in exhibiting companies and visitors coming here. The figures are also interesting in that they suggest a shift in global economic realities, as increasing numbers of international exhibiting companies are coming to Hong Kong for business opportunities.”

Friday, July 18, 2014

UFI’s survey: contrasting perspectives in key exhibition markets

News this week: Earlier this week, UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, announced the results of its 13^th Global Exhibition Barometer Survey, with a majority of respondents reporting a continual increase in revenues since 2011 which is expected to continue in the coming year. The survey was answered by 201 companies from 63 countries.

According to the survey, an average of 70% of companies in all regions declared an increase in revenue in 2014. However, 56% of the respondents declared that the impact of the “economic crisis” on their business is still ongoing with most anticipating its end in 2015. At a national level, a relative slowdown is expected in China where 25% of respondents declared an increase of 10% of their annual profit for 2014, compare to 52% for 2013.

Paul Woodward, UFI’s managing director, commented, “Our survey confirms that the exhibition media remains globally strong despite continuing economic challenges. UFI’s Global Barometer has become an important indicator for the industry and its stakeholders. Building on these encouraging results, we are planning to further develop the national insights that we introduced for the first time in this edition of the report.”

TCEB wins new events for Thailand

News this week: The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) announced the securing of a host of major international MICE events scheduled for the second half of 2014 and into 2015.

Recent major trade shows secured include Food & Hotel Thailand 2014, Intermach 2015 and ProPak Asia 2015. A long list of international conventions and congresses include the 10^th International Mycological Congress, IT&CMA Asia, CTW Asia Pacific Corporate Travel World 2014, 74^th FIP World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences 2014, which is expected to draw more than 2,000 delegates, and the Harmony World Puppet Carnival, which is expected to draw more than 30,000 attendees. Another event, the Unicity Global Convention is expected to attract more than 50,000 business travellers.

Mr Nopparat Maythaveekulchai, president of TCEB, commented, “Winning major bids for international MICE events of this calibre, which will take place in Thailand from the second half of 2014, reflects the strong international confidence business communities around the globe have in Thailand. We look forward to extending our famous warm Thai hospitality and world-class MICE services to 157,930 high quality business travellers during the final quarter of the 2014 fiscal year.”

HKTDC’s book fair hits record numbers

News this week: Earlier this week, the 25^th edition of the Hong Kong Book Fair opened at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). The week-long event runs through to next Tuesday, 22^nd July.

The organiser, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), expects a record 570 exhibitors from 31 countries and regions. Beyond the exhibition itself, the HKTDC states that there are some 300 culture-related events being held during the book fair’s run.

The exhibition was opened on 16^th July by Carrie Lam, the Hong Kong SAR Government’s Chief Secretary for Administration – along with HKTDC’s Executive Director Fred Lam.

15,000 visitors at Malaysian F&B packaging, labelling expo

News this week: The 25^th edition of the (extensively named) “Malaysia International Packaging and Labeling, Food Processing and Bakery Equipment and Plastic, Mould and Die Exhibition” was held in Kuala Lumpur last week.

Organised by ES Event Management, the exhibition was expected to attract 15,000 trade visitors from Malaysia and across Asia. In addition, more than 400 companies occupied some 800 booths at the Putra World Trade Centre.

Speaking at the exhibition, Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Lee Chee Leong pushed Malaysian businesses to be more competitive and internationally-focused. He was quoted as stating, “It is very important for the local players to grow and become globally competitive, through product innovation and improved productivity, as well as venturing into the global market.”

Venue in Penang collects 2015 bookings

News this week: The refurbished sPICE venue in Penang has been operating as an exhibition hall despite the fact that construction continues on some of the facilities. Formerly known as the Penang International Sports Arena (PISA), it is now known as the Penang International Convention and Exhibition Centre (sPICE).

The SPICE venue is managed by S P Setia Berhap Group and it currently offers 3,100 m² of exhibition space. The completed complex will offer convention space, retail shops, restaurants and hotels.

Kheng Ho Yeoh, senior manager of sPICE, commented, “sPICE Convention Centre is the main convention and exhibition hall, spanning 4,500 m² and able to accommodate 450 banquet tables, 260 exhibition booths and 8,000 people for theatre style seating… The completion of the main Spice Convention Centre is estimated to be in the third quarter of 2016, followed by the business-class hotel a year later.”

Messe Frankfurt acquires 2 shows from Indian organiser

News this week: Messe Frankfurt announced the acquisition of two trade shows in India through its subsidiary Messe Frankfurt Trade Fairs India Pvt Ltd. The international organiser acquired the LED Expo and Media Expo from New Delhi-headquartered Media Exposition & Events (MEX) for an undisclosed sum.

LED Expo and Media Expo are focused on the LED lighting and components market and the signage, retail and advertising solutions industry respectively. Both shows were promoted by MEX Exhibitions Pvt Ltd. According to Messe Frankfurt, the newly acquired shows will take the total number of events organised by Messe Frankfurt Trade Fairs India to 14.

Mr Gaurav Jeet Singh, director of MEX, said “We will continue to work closely with Messe Frankfurt to ensure a smooth transition and to further enhance these two events as they enter the next stage in their development. We also look forward to cooperating together with Messe Frankfurt on other events in India in the future as the opportunity arises.”

Friday, July 11, 2014

Hannover Fairs named operator of new Indonesian venue

News this week: Hannover Fairs International, a subsidiary of Deutsche Messe, has been named as the operator of the new Indonesia Convention Exhibition (ICE) centre. ICE is currently under construction in BSD City located on the outskirts of Jakarta, and is expected to open in early 2015. The new venue will reportedly consist of 50,000 m² of indoor exhibition space, 50,000 m² of outdoor space, and a convention centre offering 4,000 m² of floor space.

The contract signing took place in Jakarta on 8^th July 2014 with venue investors PT Indonesia International Expo (PT IIE) and Media Sinar Global (MSG), and Hannover Fairs International. PT IIE is a subsidiary of Sinarmas Land Group and Kompas Gramedia Group, one of Indonesia’s leading real estate developers and media companies, respectively.

Danny Budiharto, PT IIE’s president director, said, “With a total investment of Rp3.8 trillion (US$327 million), we believe our investment will not only benefit us, but also the city, which currently has only two convention centres namely the Jakarta Convention Center and JIEXPO in Kemayoran. We hope that this will also help boost the growth of the MICE business in Indonesia.”

Thailand’s BITEC to add four new exhibition halls

News this week: Thailand’s Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre (BITEC) announced construction work to expand the venue has begun. The Bhiraj Buri Group, owner and operator of BITEC, will reportedly invest a total of US$187 million into the expansion project, which is scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter of 2016.

According to BITEC, the expansion will add more than 37,800 m² of exhibition space over four exhibition halls, as well as three conference halls and a 29-storey office building. Upon completion, BITEC will offer around 70,000 m² of exhibition space over 10 halls along with six conference halls.

Ms. Panittha Buri, managing director of BITEC, was quoted saying, “In 2013, the company achieved the occupancy growth by 27%. Therefore, the company invested in the second phase of BITEC on an area of more than 37,800 square meters. Coupled with the existing usable space for exhibition at 32,000 and conference at 5,800 the total of BITEC’s exhibition space will expand to 70,000 square meters. The construction is scheduled to finish by 2016.”

MMI to launch ISPO Shanghai in 2015

News this week: International exhibition organiser, Messe München International (MMI), will launch a new sports exhibition in Shanghai next year. ISPO Shanghai will take place at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC) from 2^nd to 4^th July 2015.

New exhibitor product categories were also identified by MMI, which will reportedly include Outdoor, Action, Water Sports, as well as Performance and Fitness. According to MMI, more than 70 exhibitors and 1,000 visitors were interviewed to determine the location and date of the new show. ISPO Shanghai will join MMI’s ISPO portfolio of shows, which also includes ISPO Beijing in China.

Launched in 2005, the latest edition of ISPO Beijing took place from 19^th to 22^nd February 2014 at the China National Convention Center, attracting 637 exhibitors and about 30,000 industry visitors.

HKTDC’s fashion week opens with 1,250 exhibitors

News this week: Earlier this week, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) held its 21^st edition of Hong Kong Fashion Week for Spring/Summer at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). The event ran from 7^th to 10^th July, featuring some 1,250 exhibitors from 19 countries and regions.

First time exhibitors this year included companies from Madagascar, Morocco, Thailand, the U.A.E. and the U.K. A total of seven group pavilions were hosted at the event – which was themed “Cruise Sensation” this edition. According to the HKTDC, the debut of the group pavilion from Thailand was the largest in size. In addition, two new product areas were also added to the event, namely, Activewear & Sportswear, and Cashmere & Wool.

3,000 booths hosted at FashionSZshow

News this week: The 14^th China International Fashion Brand Fair – Shenzhen (FashionSZshow) opened on 10^th July at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center (SZCEC) with some 3,000 exhibitor booths. The show will run until 12^th July 2014.

FashionSZshow, together with two co-located events – the 2014 Shenzhen International Trade Fair for Apparel Fabrics and Accessories and 2014 Shenzhen Textile Equipment Fair – covered an exhibition space of 70,000 m². Products showcased at the events include men’s wear, women’s wear, maternity and children’s wear, lingerie, casual wear, fashion accessories, textile equipment and apparel fabrics.

Spenser Au, CEO of Global Sources, FashionSZshow’s strategic partner, said: “China consumers’ appetite for imported fashion apparel and accessories has been growing stronger over the past few years. With the well-established FashionSZshow platform, we are committed to meeting this need by attracting more overseas brands to exhibit at the show. At the same time, the Fair also serves as a bridgehead for international brands to penetrate the booming China market.”

Space sold at Asian trade fairs in 2013 posts fastest growth since 2008

News this week: UFI, the global association of the exhibition industry, has released the tenth edition of its annual Report on the Trade Fair Industry in Asia. Net space sold at Asian trade fairs jumped by 6.6% in 2013 to more than 17.3 million net m². The current research shows that 17.38 million m² of space was sold by exhibition organisers to their clients in Asia in 2013 – up from 16.31 m² the year before. Of that total, more than 55% was sold in China – or in terms of net space sold 9.72 million m². That is almost five times the space sold in Asia’s second largest trade fair market, Japan (1.97 million m²).

For the fourth year in a row growth was particularly strong in Southeast Asia. Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore all outperformed the regional average of 6.6%, but the region’s fastest growing market in 2013 was Taiwan where net space sold increased by nearly 14%. Of the larger markets, China posted the fastest growth – 8.0% in 2013. China has not grown that rapidly since 2008. The other large markets grew more modestly last year. India’s market expanded by 5.4%, Hong Kong and Korea by 3.4% and Japan by just 2.3%.

Asia’s venue capacity will exceed 7 million m² by the end of 2014 and the number of venues operating in Asia this year will hit 200 – up from the 100 venues that were in operation in 2004 when the first edition of this report was published. In 2014, China will be home to 106 venues and 4.85 million m² of gross indoor capacity. That represents almost 70% of total capacity available in the region.

This research was once again undertaken for UFI by Business Strategies Group (BSG). UFI members are entitled to receive a four page executive summary of the research and to purchase the full report at a substantial discount. For more information on this study, please contact UFI in Asia at: asia@ufi.org

Friday, July 04, 2014

800+ exhibitors join Interior Lifestyle Tokyo

News this week: Messe Frankfurt’s 24^th edition of Interior Lifestyle Tokyo was recently concluded at the Tokyo Big Sight attracting 819 exhibitors from 27 countries and regions. According to Messe Frankfurt, 607 exhibitors were from Japan and 212 originated from overseas. The three-day show took place from 4^th to 6^th June 2014 and occupied five exhibition halls.

Interior Lifestyle Tokyo consists of three co-located events: Ambiente Japan, Heimtextil Japan and Homedesign Japan. The show was reportedly attended by a record-breaking 27,827 visitors. Exhibitor products ranged from furniture and household products to fashion accessories.

This year’s show was divided into 11 different themed zones, including “Kitchen Life”, “Japan Style” and “Talents”. Messe Frankfurt highlighted this year’s special talk show event, Lifestyle Salon 2014, as one of the most popular events among show attendees.

MyCEB launches new Malaysian MICE promotional event

News this week: The Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) will organise its first Business Events Week (BEW) to showcase key insights, challenges and growth opportunities in Malaysia’s business events industry. The first BEW will be themed “Exceeding Expectations” targeting attendance from local Malaysian industry players.

The event will take place from 14^th to 21^st August 2014 at the Pullman Kuala Lumpur Bangsar. MyCEB has set a target to attract 2.9 million business tourist arrivals by 2020, which will contribute around 8% of the total targeted tourist arrivals of 36 million. Malaysia drew 1.4 million business tourist arrivals in 2013, which accounted for 5.2% of total tourist arrivals during the year.

Zulkefli Sharif, CEO of MyCEB, was quoted, “The purpose of BEW is to create a platform for all stakeholders of the business events industry to converge, communicate and debate issues that impact on the future growth and sustainability of the business events industry. There will be a series of seminars, workshops, dialogue sessions, expo and networking sessions that engages all levels and segments of the business events industry.”

Reed Sinopharm to launch health exhibition in Shanghai

News this week: Reed Sinopharm Exhibitions, a joint venture company between Reed Exhibitions and Sinopharm, China’s largest state-owned pharmaceutical group, will launch The Health Industry Summit (tHIS) in Shanghai next year. The organiser expects the event to attract more than 6,000 exhibitors and cover a total exhibition space of 260,000 m².

The new event will be held at the National (Shanghai) Center for Exhibition and Convention (NSCEC) in Shanghai’s Hongqiao district. tHIS will run from 15^th to 18^th May 2015 and include a Summit program of over 100 conferences. Three other co-located exhibitions will form part of the four-day event including CMEF, PHARMCHINA, API China.

A spokesman from Reed Sinopharm was quoted saying, “With China predicting its health industry to grow into an RMB 8 trillion (US$1.2 trillion) industry by 2020, and a strengthening of health sector demand, the move is clearly intended to secure more international trade and influence for China’s already sizable sector.”

Pico’s first half revenue up 1.7%

News this week: Last week, Hong Kong-listed Pico Far East Holdings announced its interim results for the six months ended 30^th April 2014. Revenues were US$214 million, a slight increase by 1.7% over the same period in 2013. However, profits in the period dropped by 7.1% year-on-year, to US$11 million. Dilute earnings per share in the six-month period were HK$0.0713 (US$0.0092).

Pico’s largest business segment in the six-month period was the exhibition & event marketing services, generating US$160 million, or almost 75% of total revenues. The second largest business segment, brand signage & visual communication, generated about 14% of the company’s revenues, amounting to US$30 million. The remaining revenues were generated from the museum, themed environment, interior & retail segment (US$17 million) and the conference & show management segment (US$6.8 million).

Lawrence Chia, chairman of Pico, said, “Despite that fact that 2014 continues to be a year of challenges due to slowing growth in China and several other Asian region such as Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. We have been able to secure and complete high-profile projects like the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, Bahrain National Day, London Singapore Day, Lotte World Night Parade in Seoul and the Emirates Dubai Jazz Festival.”

HKTDC’s exhibition revenue up 14%

News this week: Earlier this week, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) published its annual report for the financial year ended 31^st March 2014. Revenues generated from exhibitions and trade missions were US$240 million, a year-on-year growth of 14%. Overall, the HKTDC’s total revenues, including the government subvention of US$50 million, were US$353 million, up 9.6%.

Revenues from product magazines & online marketplace were US$25 million, an increase of 2.2% over 2013. The operations of the HKTDC-owned Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) generated revenues of US$21 million, flat with the previous year.

In the fiscal year 2013/14, the HKTDC held 35 fairs which were attended by more than 35,000 exhibitors – up by 4%. These fairs saw participation from more than 755,000 buyers, which increased by 10.5% year-on-year.

UFI names the first Russian president

News this week: Earlier this week, UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, announced that Sergey Alexeev, Vice-President of Russia-based ExpoForum-International Ltd., has been elected as its Incoming President effective at the conclusion of the 81^st UFI Annual Congress for the 2014/2015 term of office. The upcoming congress will be held in Bogota, Columbia from 29^th October to 1^st November 2014.

According to UFI, Alexeev will be the first UFI President originating from the Russian Federation, who has 30-years of experience in the exhibition industry. Alexeev has been President of the Russian Union of Exhibitions and Fairs (RUEF) since 1991, and he is also Chairman of the Exhibition committee of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs. He has been the Chair of the European Regional Chapter of UFI since 2008.

Alexeev was quoted saying, “Joining the UFI Presidential Trio is a reflection of the prospects and professionalism of the Russian exhibition industry. Over the past twenty years Russia has taken its place among the world’s exhibition leaders. Today we play a key role in supporting the development of the Russian economy as a major partner in the global economy.”

Asia Business Media